The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-03-01
THE LooNEY BILL
Passed to be Engrossed In the House.
The Final Vote erwheIming in
Favor of the Bill.
Mr.. Shaw of Portland Gives Reasons
for Opposing the Bill.
The Full Text of the Labor Bill as
Passed.
A Debate on the Measure In the
Senate Thursday.
Passed to be Engrossed in the House

AUGUSTA, Feb. 49,
Fred Powers of Houlton led the supporters
of the majority labor bill to-day and by
4.15 o'clock this afternoon the bill had been
passed the critical stage. the engrossment, by
vote of 106 to II. This result was brought
about by hard work since Saturday night in
getting in absent members, by cool and skill
full leadership on the floor to-day, by small
and relatively unimportant concessionswhere
great changes had been demanded and by
a combination of circumstances that divided
the opponents of the Looney bill. The
final vote was so overwhelming in favor of
the bill because the Heath and Bryant bills
having been put taway near all the friends of
a 10 hour law, and all who wanted to go on
record as such tumbled into line together.
The pending question when the debate began
to-day was on Mr.. Shaw's amendment to
Mr.. COndon's amendment. Mr.. Condor had
moved to substitute the first section of the
Heath bill for the first clause of the Looney
bill and Mr.. Shaw had amended this first
section of the Heath bill, a section which
merely said that no person except fremen,
watchmen and engineers should work over
ten hours by adding to it: "If any person
OF the age of eighteen years and upwards
III idDOlluS uIlutT Luo SCutUu e Ol
time required by this act shall, while so en-
ployed, by an independent contract agree to
labor extra hours beyond the time covered by
said schedule, and shall receive additional
compensation therefor, then any labor so
performed shall not be deemed to be in
violation OF this act, prorided no auomGn shall
De so employed, more than thirty days in ana
three months" This last provision is itali-
clZed, because 1t had an important effect
when the balloting began.
Mr. Shaw who todaV was tho most Oron,i-
nent among the leaders who wanted differ
ent bill from the Looney bill, on offering this
amendment. which he changed from the
form in which it was left Saturday night,
said: Il am in favor of a good, wholesome
ten-hour law, and in doing this | do it re-
gardless of any political movement or effect.
Those who have charged that am opposed
to any ten-hOur law, have sent out false re-
port. l am in favor of ten-hour law, but
am in favor of no law that would deny to
man or woman the right to labor longer than
ten hours in any one day, provided that they
wish to do so, and receive additional COM
penSatlOn therefor. / want ten-hOur law
for men, women and children, excluding
children under - years Of age absolutely,
and those under 10 years, unless they shall
have had sixteen weeks of schooling each
year. But | will agree in Difference TO the
wishes of others interested as much as N.Y.
self, to such limitation in this privilege of
contract as is in the amendment offered by
from Friendship. | have never favored the
whole of the Heath bill, because it cont aims
provisions for enforcement that would make
the law livery costly to the State of Maine.
AS. to the argument for preserving the So
called Looney bill in its original form, on
the ground of the example of Massachusetts,
have this to say If the present state of
the labor interests of Massachusetts is due
to that ten-hour law, God save the
State of Maine from the operation
ances in other States in which such laws are
in force Maine has enjoyed comparative
peace and prosperity. In offering these
amendments am trying to perfect good
bill as have consistently done fIom the
first; II am defeatedin my efforts to get
good bill, | shall likely vote for the best
can at last get, but warn this House not to
hold me responsible for the effect of the ma
lority report If it becomes law, for have
earnestly tried to persuade you to adopt
more comprehensive and better bill"
Mr.. Wakefield of Bath made very strong
speech against the Looney bill Mr.. Wake
field was opposed to bill that Disseminated
against women. He was also opposed to the
idea that the Looney bill was the only fulfil
ment of the promises of the Republican
party. Mr.. Wakefeld's first choice was the
Bryant BILL his second the Heath bill, and
his final vote shows that his third choice was
nothing rather than the Looney bill. Mr.
Wakefield read telegram, endorsed by 1000
Knights of Labor of Bath, calling on him to
defeat the latter bill
Major Dickey had letters from 90 of his
women constituents calling on him to vote
against the L0oney bill, a feat which the
gallant Major performed later. 'They tell
us" said Mr.. Dickey, that both party plat
forms promised 10 hour law. Well l never
knew but one man who ever held to a plat
form after election. That is the present
President of the United States, and all the
Democrats are down on him for doing it.
The promises were put into the platform
last summer to get votes, and now that we
have got the votes all responsibility ceases"
Great laughter)
Mr.. Powers then gave notice that if the
House would defeat Mr.. Shaw's amendment
and reconsider the vote whereby the words,
mo woman" had been struck from the bill
the night before he would offer an amend
ment to the Looney bill, giving to women
over Is years OF age the right to make linn
tied contract. Mr.. Powers supported his
position in a very able speech.
Messrs. Walton and Pattangall replied to
Mr.. Powers and were in turn answered by
very convincing speech from Mr. Wiswell
Mr. Noble followed Mr.. Wiswell, and then
the House took a recess until afternoon.
At 2. 80 o'clock the House assembled and
without long delay proceeded to ballot on
Mr.. Shaw's amendment to Condon's amend
ment to the first section of the LOoney bill
1t was duTidg this ballot that the effect of
the italicized provision of the amendment
was seen. A large number of men who had
been with the faithful who had tried to
keep quorum Saturday night voted against
the amendment because it Disseminated
against women. Mr.. Pattangall was one of
these and announced his reasons at the close
of the voting The amendment was lost S4
nays to 40 yeas. Then Condon's amendmen
was adopted by viva voice vote.
Then Mr.. Hall, of Warren, moved to re-
consider the vote whereby women had been
remanded from the protecting clause of. the
Looney bill.
Reconsideration was voted, s. yeas to 35
nays.
Mr.. Barker of Bangor, said he hoped all
who had voted to reconsider would also re-
consider, and they did leaving the Looney
bill to include women as well as minors.
Then more amendments to the bill were
proposed and some of them, made by Messrs.
Shaw, Looney, Powers and others, were
adopted. This is the bill as it stood when
they were done amending it. Where any
tfing important has been put into the bill
that amendment is put in brackets; anything
that is stricken out is printed in italics. The
amendment giving women the right to make
a limited contract is the one promised by
Mr.. Powers.
Section mo [female1 minor under eighteen
years of age, Lno male minor under sixteen years
agel, and no woman shall be employed in laboring
in any manufacturing or mechanical business or
establishment in this State, more than ten hours
in auy one day, except when 1t is necessary to
make repairs to prevent the interruption of the
ordinary running of the machinery cor when diff
ferent apportionment of the hours of labor is made
for the sole purpose of making a shorter days
work for one day of the week; and in no case
shall the hours of labor exceed sixty I'm week
proyided that the foregoing prohibition shall NOT
apply to any manufacturing establishment the
materials and products of which are perishable
and require immediate labor thereon to prevent
decay thereof, Tor no damage thereto.] And no
male person sixteen years and over Shall be so
employed as above [more than 10 hours a dayl
unless he voluntarily contracts to do so, and in
such case he shall receive extra compensation for
| his services.
Sect 2.-Every employer shall post in conspi-
| cuous lplace in every room where such persons
are employed notice printed in plain, large type,
stating the number of h0urs's work required OF
| them on each day of the week. the exact time fol-
| commencing work in the morning, stopping al
| noon 1or dluner, commencing after dinner, and
stopping at night; of the form such printed notice
| shall be furnished by the Deputy Commissioner OF
| Labor hereafter named and shall be approved by
| the Attorney General. And the employment Of
any such person for longer time in any day thar
that so stated shall be deemed a vOlation of sec
| tion one, unless II appears that such employment
| is TO make up for time lost on some previous da,
| of the same week in consequence of the stoppinl
| of machinery upon which such person was EN-
| ployed or dependent for employment. 1t shal
not be construed to be violation of this act tina
| the motive power in any manufacturing O